About 500 turtles

Benjamin Scuglia is a Los Angeles-based author and playwright, actor, producer and stage manager, with a special gift for tapping into the energy of pets and other animals. He has a unique ability to read humans through the eyes of their pets (and vice versa).

Why 500 Turtles?

I am a lifelong turtle lover. I cannot point to one specific reptile or moment that sparked my love of turtles; I came out of the womb that way. My parents have stories of me, as a baby, crawling towards stuffed turtles and pictures of turtles.

Although I was never allowed to own a live turtle when I was growing up, I collected them and became famous in my family for it. I was given turtles of every shape, size, color and material for birthdays, holidays and special occasions. At one point I counted them all and the number had reached exactly 500 (although I’m sure it’s far beyond that number now).

When I moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to pursue a career as a screenwriter, novelist and playwright, I needed a name for my production company. And “500 Turtles Productions” just popped into my head. It felt right; it felt like me.

Years later, when it came time to start this very website dedicated to pet readings and my psychic work, I cast about for just the right name; something evocative for a first-time visitor, and yet also personal to me. 500Turtles.com just felt like the right choice.

People ask if I’ve ever read a turtle. As of early 2017, just once! But it was a lovely experience; he walked right over to me as I sat on the ground and began walking in circles around me while his owners watched in amazement (he was known to have an antisocial temperament. He promptly diagnosed the stomach pain of one of his keepers, too).